(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus as a fixture for pressure testing of a flange penetrator seal.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art, that flange penetrator seals are used to segmentize components of watertight or pressure-tight containers such as missile tubes. Specifically, a blind flange segmentizes the container and the penetrator provides a conduit through the flange. The conduit is typically used to connect electrical power or data input to any devices within the segmented components. The seal maintains the water or pressure-tight characteristics of the conduit.
Present testing devices for flange penetrator seals create a vacuum on the missile tube or device side of the flange. Once the vacuum is created, leakage through the flange penetrator seal is measured. A problem with existing test devices is that devices can only test up to atmospheric pressure and cannot apply hydrostatic pressure on the sea side of the flange penetrator seal.